Socket plug



June 9, 1936. A. E. GRANT ET AL V SOCKET PLUG Filed Aug. 11, 1951 on lines 6-8 of Fig. 4.

Patented June 9, 1936v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,043,851 SOCKET PLUG Albert E. Grant, New York, and Samuel W. I

'Vanderbeek, t, N. Y.

Application August 11, 1931, Serial No. 556,376

2 Claims. (01. 173-361) proved form of casing and the detailed features of construction which permit the plug to be made at'a minimum of cost with a maximum of utility.

Referring. to the drawing which forms a part of this specification Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a plug embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the plug.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the plug.

Fig. 4 isa view showing half of the casing with the elements of construction mounted therein.

Fig. 5 is an interior view of one of the half portions of the casing.

Fig. 6 is avertical cross sectional view taken Fig. 7 is a side view of one of the terminal contact members with a binding post mounted thereon.

ll-lll respectively indicates two half portionsof the casing which are alike in form and com struction. l

The casing is made of oakelite, or similar plastic insulatingmaterial, which is moulded in the usual manner, in which is formed a chamber H to receive the mechanical parts of the plug.

The upper end of the casing is formed with a neck portion I2 of reduced diameter to form a gripping surface for the fingers in manually engaging or separating the male andfemale portion ofthe plug. The upper end. of the neck portion is formed with a bell shaped opening I3 and a plurality of concentric flanges M are moulded in the neck portion between the bell shaped opening and the chamber ll. Lateral slots iii are formed transversely and intersect the flanges I4 which extend from the opening I: to the chamber II. I

A partition I6 is moulded integral with the casing, through the upper end of which an openbell shaped ing I1 is formed through which a bolt l8 ex-' tends to hold the two half portions of the casing together.

Circular recesses H are formed in the casing on each side of the partition, the wallsof which serve as bearing surfaces for the pinions 20 of the rigid contact elements 2|, the lower ends of which. project beyond the casing the usual distance and are tapered or chamfered at their outer ends as illustrated at 22; The upper ends of the contact elements 2| are reduced in size adjacent to one corner thereof and are bent at sharp angles, as illustrated at 22, and spiral springs 24 5 are mounted thereon and nest in sockets 25 formed in the inner wall of the casing, as illustrated.

A binding post comprising a screw 26 and a clip-washer 21 is provided for each of the contact elements 2!, the form of said washer being clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The elements 2| are made from flat sheet metal by a stamping operation and therefore the pinions 20 are rectangular in cross-section and the corners of the pinions rest in contact with the walls of the recesses I 9, as will be readily understood. 4

Wire conductors 29 are enclosed in the. usual insulating cover 30 and these in turn extend through parallel holes formed in a circular soft rubber casing 3| which in turn is inserted between the two half portions of the casing and is clamped there by thenut and bolt construe tion |8.- A portion of the casing 3| is thus gripped by the flanges M to prevent its accidental withdrawal from the neck and the slots l5 also receive portions of the casing to prevent it from twisting in the neck portion.

. The lower free ends of the wire conductors 29 are clamped between the washer 21 and the head of the bolt 26 to secure them in firm contacting relation with the terminal elements 2!.

By this construction the parts may be rapidly made and assembled, and due to the shape of the plug, no excess material is moulded in forming the casing, therefore both the casing 'and the parts may be made at a minimum of cost.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the pressure of the springs 24 is exerted inwardly against the inner ends of the contact elements 40 and causes them to pivot on the pinions 20 and diverge outwardly and rest against the inner wall of the casing at 28. The ends of the contact elements 22 are thus positioned to rest against theouter edges of the slots formed in the female portion of the plug, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In operation, when the male and female portions of the plug are forced toward each other in the act of coupling, the outwardly extending portions of the contact elements will be drawn together into a substantially parallel relationship againstthe resistance of the springs and thus provide a firm contact with the usual contact elements carried in the female portion .of the Having thus described our invention, we claim as new:

1. An attachment plug of the character de-.

= scribed comprising a casing and a pair of contact blades pivoted therein and extending outwardly therefrom; resilient means within the casing normally holding the outwardly extending portions or the blades at an angle to each other, the outer ends of said blades being chamiered and normally spaced a part a distance such that their chamfered areas are'adapted to" engage margins of respective socket openings in a standard re-.

ceptacle plug to cause the blades to be drawn into substantial alignment against the resistance 1 of said resilient means in the act of coupling.

2. An attachment plug oi the character described comprising a casing and a pair oiflcon tact blades pivoted therein and extending outwardly therefrom, resilient means within the easing normally holding the outwardlyextending portions of the blades at a divergent angle to 1 ALBERT 1:. GRANT. 1 ssmmn w. VANDERBEE'K. 

